The Hammer Horror Omnibus by John Burke

Author:John Burke [Burke, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Pan Books
Published: 1966-01-09T08:00:00+00:00

2

After the most careful survey of its potentialities I decided to settle in Carlsbruck. Without means or influence, I found the first two years extremely arduous. When I attempted to set up in practice I was met by firm resistance from the Medical Council, which apparently existed purely to eliminate competition. Nevertheless I persevered. I had confidence in my destiny, and after those early trials I began to see this confidence justified. Of my medical skill there could be little question; and unlike so many members of the profession I had the added advantage of good breeding, which was particularly effective when dealing with the impressionable ladies of the community. Among my patients I actually numbered the wife and daughter of one of my most powerful rivals, a committee member of the Medical Council of Carlsbruck. At first he could afford to treat this as a joke and attribute it to the passing whim of silly, susceptible women. As time went on, however, the august members of the Council could hardly fail to notice that my patients remained devoted to me and that they themselves were losing more than a few to me.

Sooner or later I knew there would be an approach from the council, conciliatory or aggressive. I had made no application for a place on the Council and did not intend to do so. Let them make the first move—and they would discover what reception I had in store for them!

Gradually I was consolidating my position. I started in a shabby quarter of the city, but then was able to move to a more fashionable area. At the same time I volunteered my services to the Workhouse Hospital. When they heard of it, this made some of my more delicate lady patients unhappy. They knew of the squalor in that dismal place—by hearsay, of course, since nothing would have tempted them to venture within its chill grey walls—and feared that I might bring contamination from it. It was admirable of me to give my services to the poor and needy; but were my responsibilities to the rich and fragile not greater? I tried to calm their agitation. Nothing must interfere with my work at the Hospital: it provided me with so many things that I needed, though I was not in a position to explain this in detail to those good ladies who equally provided me with necessities—in their case, wealth.

If I had wished to settle down to a prosperous bourgeois life in Carlsbruck it would not have been difficult. Having established myself on my own merits I could have applied to the Medical Council for official recognition, and they would have been relieved to welcome me into the fold. I could have married, and married well. I need lack nothing.

But I had work to do. It was work which had to be carried out in complete secrecy. I had learned my lesson. I would put my trust in no one. Friends were unreliable; a wife in my household would be a danger and an encumbrance.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.